CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: Firing Squad

deathpenaltyinfo.org ^ | 2006

[doug from upland]

Firing Squad

Firing squad still remains a method of execution in Idaho, although lethal injection as an alternative method is allowed. The most recent execution by this method was that of John Albert Taylor. By his own choosing, Taylor was executed by firing squad in Utah on January 26, 1996. For execution by this method, the inmate is typically bound to a chair with leather straps across his waist and head, in front of an oval-shaped canvas wall. The chair is surrounded by sandbags to absorb the inmate's blood. A black hood is pulled over the inmate's head. A doctor locates the inmate's heart with a stethoscope and pins a circular white cloth target over it. Standing in an enclosure 20 feet away, five shooters are armed with .30 caliber rifles loaded with single rounds. One of the shooters is given blank rounds. Each of the shooters aims his rifle through a slot in the canvas and fires at the inmate. (Weisberg, 1991) The prisoner dies as a result of blood loss caused by rupture of the heart or a large blood vessel, or tearing of the lungs. The person shot loses consciousness when shock causes a fall in the supply of blood to the brain. If the shooters miss the heart, by accident or intention, the prisoner bleeds to death slowly. (Hillman, 1992 and Weisberg, 1991)

[Ouderkirk]

Cranial Lead Implant Therapy

[doc1019]

This thing looks too complicated … keep it simple … sharp blade, long drop, head off.

[ThePythonicCow]

there is little chance that the spine would be missed - that shuts things down instantaneously

I recall reading that even beheading does not result in instant total loss of consciousness, so I doubt that severing the spine, even at the neck, would be instant. Rather I'd expect some elements of mental life to continue for another 20 or 30 seconds, perhaps.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Drag behind the car for 1/2 mile. Run over by a truck. Locked in a a freezer. Yeah, many that the Supremes probably won't allow.

[Porterville]

I left out step two:

After locking the head and body you have a bolt gun you place on its head. Thunk, and it retracts

[JoeSixPack1]

Unfortunately, the condemed usually aren't moving targets,
low-velocity, high damage is the call. :-)

If they needed a mounting hole they would just use a .17 Mach2mini.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

...in more than 200 years of guillotine use, there has never a problem with the condemned getting lead poisoning. Tetanus? Hey, it could happen but there have been no complaints yet...

[dalereed]

Lay on flat slab, drop 10 ton flat matching slab.

[mathurine]

It worked on me.

[knarf]

Kinda' like a Hilte gun?

[BulletBobCo]

I don't see why we can't let the convicted choose their own form of death, from a list of several alternatives, such as hanging, firing squad, shot to the heart or head, beheading, electrocution, lethal injection, heroin overdose or nicotine overdose, or my favorite, the high altitude chamber.

You failed to mention.....Death by Bunga-Bunga.

[zendari]

I'd be more generous. If they are executed within 5 years of conviction I'd give them the chance to choose their own method of death.

[doc1019]

I don’t care about instant death … just death as punishment for deeds done. Only the bleeding hearts amongst us care about the suffering of the criminal.

Shoot them, electrocute them, burn them, cut their heads off, hang them, bury them alive … just execute them.

The only reason that this is a matter for discussion is that there are some that think that murdering scum should not suffer (unlike their victims).

If mental life continues for several seconds after beheading (or whatever method used), so be it, gives them time to reflect on their misdeeds. I’m sure their victims would not care.

[RLM]

Now that the telephone industry is deregulated, the supreme court should allow strangulation using a telephone cord.

[umgud]

This subject is being twisted to the nth degree. The constitution prohibits cruel and unusal punishment, it doesn't mean that execution has to be painless.

[Porterville]

As I understand it, it has a little metal bolt in it that pops out and pulls back. Typically forced through a pneumatic hose attachment. This is from http://www.grandin.com

"Cartridge fired captive bolt gun "

"For sheep, a captive bolt is placed on the top of the head. This position is more effective for sheep because they have a very thick skull over the forehead. For pigs, the captive bolt is placed on the forehead."

"A good stunner operator learns not to chase the animal's head. Take the time and aim for one good shot. The stunner must be placed squarely on the animal's head. All equipment manufacturers' recommendations and instructions must be followed. Pneumatic stunners must have an adequate air supply. Low air pressure is one cause of poor stunning."

[groanup]

You posted a thread about the method of execution? No wonder left wing addicts think we're primordial.

[lindor]

A voice of sanity. Thank you.

[Plains Drifter]

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[Plains Drifter]

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